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Writer's pictureByron O'Neal

ZERO JUMPER


Cartoonist: Patrick Mulholland

Publisher: Markosia


Zero Jumper (tpb), cover, Markosia, Mulholland

WHAT IS IT?

An epic, sci-fi action adventure series all from the mind of a single cartoonist.

It's got the time & space travel aspect of an X-Men arc or Chrono Cross, but the wall-to-wall action and world building of something closer to Ender's Game or Valeria. There's also an aspect of the action film (now TV series) Hanna in there, too.

WHAT'S IT ABOUT?

(Minor Spoilers)

The last human in the universe, Juno, and her robotic orb friend, Io, travel through time and space, collecting crystals to power a giant machine powerful enough to reverse time to before the Earth was destroyed.

Unfortunately, there are powers at work against her, wishing to stop her and take her crystals from her. Can she beat them and collect the crystals to save the human race? Or will darkness thrive with humanity's extinction?

WHAT WORKS?

  • Patrick Mulholland has an amazing grasp on the comics medium, and I'm honestly in awe at what he's accomplished with Zero Jumper

  • His dynamic panelling, sense of tension and rising action, incorporation of sound effects into the art, the page flow of action, art and lettering, and using page turns for big reveals is remarkable

  • Often, cartoonists excel at some aspects of making comics, but not others. But Patrick Mulholland's work in Zero Jumper shows he's that well-rounded kind of talented that makes others green with envy.

  • Mulholland's writing is extremely tight

  • His first line immediately hooks the reader

  • Fun banter between Juno and Io, and witty dialogue in general make the parts without an action sequence easy and enjoyable to read

  • He's trimmed all the fat to make this story one heck of a ride, and his world building pulls you in from the start

  • As artist, Mulholland's dynamic panel layouts show he knows enough about the rules to break them properly to enhance the action, and when this is combined with his well-realized color palette, every page turn brings a sense of awe and excitement

  • Patrick's lettering work was one of my favorite parts, specifically his sound effect work

  • The SFX often look three-dimensional, dynamic and immersive

  • Having a strong girl as the main character, undefined by a man or any love story beyond love for family, was refreshing

  • I love how the ending situation leaves you with this sort of existential question you have to answer for yourself

  • Backmatter feels robust enough to spawn spin-offs

WHAT DOESN'T WORK?

  • Some spelling/grammatical errors and extra spaces and typos can take away from the book's polish a little

  • The story was SO tight, I would have been OK diving a little deeper into the world, the characters and its rich history


Zero Jumper (tpb), Markosia, Mulholland

WHY SHOULD I READ IT?

It's a non-stop thrill ride from a single cartoonist with a singular vision. Zero Jumper is an absolute pleasure to read, especially for fans of time travel and sci-fi action.

WHAT DO I READ NEXT?

If you like the writing:

  • Black Science by Rick Remender & Matteo Scalera

  • Battling Boy by Paul Pope

  • Vagrant Queen by Magdalene Visaggio & Jasen Smith

If you like the art:

ABOUT THE CREATORS

Patrick Mulholland – Cartoonist

  • Multitalented: Wrote, illustrated, colored and lettered this entire graphic novel

  • Outlander: Hails from Belfast

  • Inspired by Sean Murphy and Frank Quitely

HOW DO I BUY IT?

Click one of these to pre-order (or to purchase, if you're from the future):

The image(s) used in this article are from a comic strip, webcomic or the cover or interior of a comic book. The copyright for this image(s) is likely owned by either the publisher of the comic, the writer(s) and/or artist(s) who produced the comic. It is believed that the use of this image(s) qualifies as fair use under the United States copyright law. The image is used in a limited fashion in an educational manner in order to illustrate the points of the author and not for the purpose of entertainment or substituting the original work. It is believed the use of this image has had no impact on the market value of the original work.

All Markosia characters and the distinctive likeness(es) thereof are trademarks of and copyright Markosia or their respective owners. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

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